Best Glamping near Hartford, TN

Pigeon River Campground and Fox Fire Riverside Campground house premium glamping accommodations along the picturesque Pigeon River in Hartford, Tennessee. Both destinations feature yurts and upscale canvas tents with modern amenities including comfortable beds, electricity, and climate control. Fox Fire's riverside units provide direct water views while Pigeon River Campground combines glamping with on-site adventure opportunities through nearby whitewater rafting outfitters. The properties maintain clean, modern bath facilities for glamping guests, though some units feature private facilities. The natural setting creates a peaceful atmosphere despite proximity to Interstate 40, with the sounds of the flowing river enhancing the experience. According to a camper, "The view of the river next to our campsite was amazing, water rafting right there at the campground, fishing from the campsite was a bonus and the owners are the nicest people we've met in our travels."

Located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, these Hartford glamping resorts serve as ideal basecamps for regional exploration while offering distinctive on-site experiences. The Pigeon River provides natural entertainment with swimming, tubing, and fishing opportunities right from the glamping sites when water levels permit. Both properties feature river-facing accommodation options where guests can watch rafters and zipliners pass by. One visitor noted, "The tent sites are on the bank of the river. It is close to I-40 so you hear semi trucks every now and then but you barely hear them over the river. Very peaceful and only 30 minutes from Gatlinburg." Seasonal considerations affect water activities, as controlled dam releases impact river levels, particularly outside May-September. The glamping properties maintain operation from March through November, offering proximity to popular attractions including Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, and local outdoor adventure outfitters.

Best Glamping Sites Near Hartford, Tennessee (87)

    1. Greenbrier Campground

    70 Reviews
    Gatlinburg, TN
    16 miles
    Website

    $35 - $258 / night

    "Our oldest rented a bell tent, and when I say they are the cutest camping spot, I am not exaggerating. The bell tents sit on the river and away from all the RV sites."

    "We stayed 3 nights in the Baby Bear bell tent with our small children and it was perfect. We ended up arriving later than expected and the hosts were wonderful. Very nice and helpful our whole stay."

    2. Elkmont Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

    124 Reviews
    Gatlinburg, TN
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (865) 430-5560

    $30 / night

    "The only bad part was the non quiet hours- so It was loud at night. But the campsites are far apart, easy walking distance to bathrooms."

    "There are no hook ups for electric and sewer here, nor are their showers."

    3. Triple Creek Campground

    13 Reviews
    Cosby, TN
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (423) 465-3060

    "I was next to a brook, under a paw paw tree. It was safe, very friendly. The bath and shower house were clean and very nice for tent camping! Laundry room, firewood delivery."

    "The staff was really welcoming and friendly, campsites were amazing and the bathrooms were extremely clean!!!"

    4. Fox Fire Riverside Campground

    12 Reviews
    Hartford, TN
    0 miles
    Website
    +1 (502) 641-5369

    $30 - $40 / night

    "This is a great little campground in the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee."

    "Friendly staff, firewood and ice on site, the riverside tent sites are the way to go, can watch zip liners and rafters go by. Bring a float to tie out from your campsite for some good river fun!!"

    5. Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg KOA Campground

    55 Reviews
    Pigeon Forge, TN
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (865) 453-7903

    "Really friendly staff. Nicely stocked store. Clean and large laundry room with TV. We loved the lazy river in the pool. Our site was concrete and level but as with most KOAs not cheap."

    "Very clean and spacious bathroom/showers, staff great and perfect distance to tourist and Nature destinations"

    6. Hot Springs Campground

    29 Reviews
    Hot Springs, NC
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (828) 622-7676

    "All sites have fire pits and picnic tables. The bath house and bathrooms wer very clean - the staff checked on them many times a day and kept them well stocked for the Labor.day holiday weekend."

    "Walking distance to trails and town. Spa with hot spring hot tubs across the street."

    7. Smoky Bear Campground

    10 Reviews
    Cosby, TN
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (865) 436-8372

    "Awesome people that run the campground pool was awesome hot tub and bath house clean heated and cooled"

    "Cozy place to stay, Staff was friendly and the bath house looked to be newly renovated and very clean. Quiet time was strictly enforced."

    8. Indian Creek Campground

    24 Reviews
    Cherokee, NC
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (828) 497-4361

    $26 - $37 / night

    "Campground: Indian Creek Overall: This is a very nice, small, quiet commercial campground way off of the beaten path."

    "The site was pretty large, level, and had unparalleled views and access to Bunches Creek."

    9. Pigeon River Campground

    5 Reviews
    Hartford, TN
    1 mile
    Website
    +1 (844) 766-2267

    $45 - $55 / night

    "Facilities were clean, staff was super friendly. Easy access to the river. Sites were easy to back into. Only negative was a lack of shade on the sites."

    "Especially, proximity to the river. Our two sites were directly facing the river, which was shallow, with a slow current until they let the dam out."

    10. Harmon Den Area

    6 Reviews
    Hartford, TN
    9 miles

    "You will not want to drive too fast since there are several potholes, washboards, and protruding rocks in the road."

    "What is upsetting is that people pitch tents and build campfires on the summit, which damages the fragile maintained meadow. There are specific campgrounds only a ten minute walk from the summit."

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Glamping Reviews near Hartford, TN

1004 Reviews of 87 Hartford Campgrounds


  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 27, 2025

    Lakefront Glamping Resort Cherokee Lake Tennessee

    A-Frame Glamping on Cherokee Lake

    Open May-September, this property is located on Cherokee Lake. There are four glamping tents (two with king beds and two with queen beds) and the newest addition is a Micro A-Frame with a king bed. This used to be a dedicated campsite and can still be used as one as the A-Frame is on wheels and can be moved. We stayed in the A-Frame which has a private fire pit and picnic table.

    The A-Frame is cozy with the bed taking up 95% of the space. There is also a small beanbag-type chair, dorm fridge, coffee maker, and two charging pads. There is electricity and light, but it is not bright enough to read in the evening. One of the nicest features is the window side that faces the lake can be opened, making it an open-air accommodation. However, despite it being on the lake, you will also hear almost constant road noise. The glamping tents are located further away from the lake in the woods so I imagine the road noise would be less or non-existent here. 

    Ben and Kim, the owners, are still working on this property and they recently completed a very nice bathhouse with two toilets, two sinks, and two outdoor showers. Towels are provided. They are currently working on a boat dock. 

    We chose the SUP n Stay package (middle price option); included in our reservation was the rental of either a SUP or kayak. The Stay package includes accommodations plus a floating lake mat. The Stay n Play reservation includes the SUP or kayak rental plus a two-hour lake excursion. Unfortunately, it started to rain after we had been out on the lake for about a half hour. The rain resulted in a very muddy area around the A-Frame and Tennessee mud is no joke. We accumulated about an inch of the thick gooey mud on our shoes. 

    Ben and Kim were very welcoming and gracious hosts. Communication was great and they made sure we had no questions. The Micro A-Frame was a unique way to spend the night. The only reason for four stars and not five was the mud and road noise.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 27, 2025

    Lakefront Glamping Resort Cherokee Lake Tennessee

    A-Frame Glamping on Cherokee Lake

    Open May-September, this property is located on Cherokee Lake. There are four glamping tents (two with king beds and two with queen beds) and the newest addition is a Micro A-Frame with a king bed. This used to be a dedicated campsite and can still be used as one as the A-Frame is on wheels and can be moved. We stayed in the A-Frame which has a private fire pit and picnic table. 

    The A-Frame is cozy with the bed taking up 95% of the space. There is also a small beanbag-type chair, dorm fridge, coffee maker, and two charging pads. There is electricity and light, but it is not bright enough to read in the evening. One of the nicest features is the window side that faces the lake can be opened, making it an open-air accommodation. However, despite it being on the lake, you will also hear almost constant road noise. 

    The glamping tents are located further away from the lake in the woods so I imagine the road noise would be less or non-existent here. 

    Ben and Kim, the owners, are still working on this property and they recently completed a very nice bathhouse with two toilets, two sinks, and two outdoor showers. Towels are provided. They are currently working on a boat dock. 

    We chose the SUP n Stay package (middle price option); included in our reservation was the rental of either a SUP or kayak. The Stay package includes accommodations plus a floating lake mat. The Stay n Play reservation includes the SUP or kayak rental plus a two-hour lake excursion. Unfortunately, it started to rain after we had been out on the lake for about a half hour. The rain resulted in a very muddy area around the A-Frame and Tennessee mud is no joke. We accumulated about an inch of the thick gooey mud on our shoes. 

    Ben and Kim were very welcoming and gracious hosts. Communication was great and they made sure we had no questions. Our stay in the micro A-Frame was a very unique stay. The only reason for four stars and not five was the mud and road noise.

  • Ashley M.
    Sep. 17, 2019

    Moonshine Creek Campground

    Beautiful Campground

    My husband and I stayed here for my birthday in one of the camping cabins. We will definitely be back now that we have our A-frame camper. The campground is beautiful with a mountain stream flowing through the entire campground. Immaculate bathhouses and wonderful owners. Great store onsite and lots to do in the surrounding area.

  • Nate H.
    Sep. 30, 2020

    Camp LeConte Luxury Outdoor Resort

    Vintage campers!

    Camp Leconte Luxury Resort is located in Gatlinburg near the Greenbriar area of the Smokies. It’s a fairly small campground right on the Parkway. It’s close to town, but far enough away to avoid traffic. The campground has nice, paved spots for rv’s. It has glamping tent cabins, as well as vintage campers. There is a camp store, but the campground is not far from a grocery store and liquor store. There’s a trolley stop nearby also, so if you’d like To go to the strip, you can take the trolley and not worry about parking. There’s a nice pool and playground. Very clean campground.

  • Nate H.
    Dec. 9, 2020

    GlampKnox

    One of My Absolute Favorites!

    I highly recommend this glamping spot. It could not be more perfect. This spot is new, and the set up is awesome. Perched on top of a hill, the site has great sunrise views. The glamping tent is very high quality, with a covered porch, two comfy beds, and a wood burning stove, so camping is possible year round. a fire pit is out front of the tent too.

    The spot has great hammock trees, as well as spots for tents for extra room.

    The property has a one mile hiking trail. There are restrooms and an outdoor shower justba short walk, or drive down the hill. The is a cabin, and event venue on site also. 

    The area is close to The Great Smoky Mountains, and also Downtown Knoxville. A perfect spot for a nice glamping getaway.

  • Nate H.
    Dec. 9, 2020

    GlampKnox

    One of My Absolute Favorites!

    I highly recommend this glamping spot. It could not be more perfect. This spot is new, and the set up is awesome. Perched on top of a hill, the site has great sunrise views. The glamping tent is very high quality, with a covered porch, two comfy beds, and a wood-burning stove, so camping is possible year-round. a fire pit is out front of the tent too. The spot has great hammock trees, as well as spots for tents for extra room. The property has a one-mile hiking trail. There are restrooms and an outdoor shower just a short walk or drive down the hill. The is a cabin, and event venue on-site also. The area is close to The Great Smoky Mountains, and also Downtown Knoxville. A perfect spot for a nice glamping getaway.

  • S
    Oct. 16, 2016

    Moonshine Creek Campground

    Moonshine Creek Campground

    Owners are very friendly. Our tent campsite was very secluded, included a fire pit, picnic table, over looking deck, running water and electric. Loved hearing the running creek from our tent site. Very clean bathrooms. Highly recommended!

  • Katie K.
    Sep. 11, 2020

    Townsend-Great Smokies KOA

    Perfect spot outside the smoky mountain national park

    My family and I have been camping at this campground for over 25 years now. When we first started going here it was a small family owned business and it has certainly changed since KOA took over but I think they’re all positive, just less of the charm. The sites along the river are by far the best, and the cost is reflective of that. They upgraded the bathhouse to be climate controlled recently... the best upgrade!!! The location is superb, right outside cades cove and a five min drive from put in for tubing down the river and one of the few places you can simply tune to without having to pay a service to shuttle you one way or the other. The staff is amazing. Definitely a must stop!

  • Shelly S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 11, 2022

    USA Raft Adventure Resort

    Roughing it

    Stayed here with a group . I van camped, a Bell Tent, Avion camper, Geodome , and mini house was rented. All pretty well maintained. There were a few electrical issues due to the crowd that arrived for a music event over the weekend. They sorta stick people all over the place when their busy. Beautiful view along the River. Bar and food truck with vegan options on site. We whitewater rafted, the guides were excellent and it was an awesome trip. The AT meanders along the River and is easily accessible from the campground. Be flexible if you stay here, their reservation system leaves a lot to be desired, but it is a very layed back and enjoyable stay.


Guide to Hartford

Hartford, Tennessee sits at the eastern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains with an elevation of approximately 1,220 feet. The area marks the meeting point of the Pigeon River with Interstate 40, creating a natural gateway to outdoor adventures. Camping options near Hartford range from full-service RV parks to primitive sites, with river access being a standout feature at most locations.

What to do

River activities during scheduled releases: The Pigeon River near Hartford has controlled dam releases that affect water activities. "We stayed here over Labor Day weekend in 2020 and although it was completely full, it didn't feel crowded. There was a big field where kids could play, with a play set and many other things to keep them busy. Kids are welcome get wet and stroll down one of the creeks in tubes and there's plenty of shade," notes a visitor to Triple Creek Campground.

Mineral hot spring soaks: Just 35 miles from Hartford, the town of Hot Springs offers a unique experience. "The hot springs spa was the best. Can't wait for my next visit," reports a visitor to Hot Springs Campground. After hiking or rafting, the natural mineral baths provide relaxation for sore muscles.

Visit Max Patch: A 40-minute drive from Hartford leads to one of the most scenic balds in the region. "I've camped at Max Patch and absolutely loved it. Grab a headlamp and take the quick walk up/down for sunrise/sunset, then retreat to your private campsite," shares a camper who visited Harmon Den Area. The 360-degree mountain views make this worth the drive.

What campers like

Creek sounds for sleeping: Many campers specifically mention the sound of water as a highlight. "This campground is not huge but it has everything you need. Especially, proximity to the river. Our two sites were directly facing the river, which was shallow, with a slow current until they let the dam out," notes a visitor to Pigeon River Campground.

Private bathrooms at select campgrounds: Clean, individual bathroom facilities stand out in reviews. "The bath house appeared to be newer, and will trump your home facilities in many cases! Within the bath house, there are several private doors leading to your own 3 piece bath with shelving and granite counters with outlets, and a stunning double shower," mentions a camper at Greenbrier Campground.

Proximity to attractions without crowds: Campers appreciate being close to popular areas without the noise and congestion. "This was a great little campground. It's just a very short drive to Gatlinburg and the Sugarlands Visitor Center of GSM National Park. The campground offers full hookups, PRIVATE bathrooms with great showers, ice and firewood sales, shuttle to downtown, and waterfront sites."

What you should know

Interstate noise at some sites: Proximity to Interstate 40 means traffic sounds at certain campgrounds. "Nice, clean, well appointed campground. Our spot is right on a creek. There is a little camp store and lots of games and live music on Saturday night this week! The campground is near a road so we do hear some loud cars driving by sometimes but overall I mostly heard the creek waters and the sound of insects at night," writes a camper at Triple Creek Campground.

Water quality varies by location: Some campgrounds have water issues to be aware of. "Fox Fire campsite is beautiful given the locations proximity to a national park. The one downside is that the water was really brown - not just on one spigot but on all the ones I tested," reports a visitor to Fox Fire Riverside Campground.

Limited cell service: Connectivity can be spotty throughout the area. "Beautiful, peaceful real campground with 2 creek, 1 stocked with trout. No ATT service and Wi-Fi spotty and slow except when in pavilion. If connectivity is important (and it legitimately can be), this might not be the place for you," warns a camper at Indian Creek Campground.

Tips for camping with families

Find campgrounds with recreational facilities: Look for sites with amenities beyond just camping. "Cozy place to stay, Staff was friendly and the bath house looked to be newly renovated and very clean. Kiddos loved the pool and basketball court. Close to the heart of Gatlinburg and near loads of hiking trails with river access," notes a camper at Smoky Bear Campground.

Consider riverside tent sites for older children: Many campgrounds offer tent sites directly on the water. "Tent sites are on the bank of the river. My family and I stayed here for the weekend. The kids were able to get into the water and swim. The dam does release the water around 2pm so be aware that the water will rise," reports a visitor at Fox Fire Riverside Campground.

Schedule around water releases: Plan water activities based on dam schedules. "This site had a nice tent pad next to my picnic table and grill area. The Smoky Mountains are too big to really navigate all from one camp area. Roads are narrow and windy and on busy days you hardly can accomplish even a couple things of interest on your list."

Tips from RVers

Reservations essential during peak season: Many RV sites fill quickly, especially from May through October. "Very clean and spacious bathroom/showers, staff great and perfect distance to tourist and Nature destinations," mentions a reviewer at the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg KOA Campground.

Check road access for larger rigs: Some campgrounds have narrow or steep entrance roads. "The entrance is steep downhill coming in... a little scary at first but not a problem. The RV sites are close to the interstate so you can hear some jake brakes from time to time and road noice but not terrible," warns an RVer at Fox Fire Riverside Campground.

Consider river proximity versus road noise: RV sites with the best amenities sometimes trade water proximity for road noise. "We stayed in site #16 and it was perfect! It's one of their wider sites so we didn't feel we were on top of our neighbors. The Little Pigeon River was just steps off the back of our camper."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Hartford, TN?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Hartford, TN is Greenbrier Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 70 reviews.

What is the best site to find glamping camping near Hartford, TN?

TheDyrt.com has all 87 glamping camping locations near Hartford, TN, with real photos and reviews from campers.